Students will follow the flow of freshwater from the greater Everglades ecosystem, to the Fakahatchee Strand, to Blackwater River. Begin their journey at the Seminole Tribe of Florida AH-TAH-THI-KI Museum and learn about the history and culture of the Seminole people and their connection to the greater Everglades ecosystem. Examine the hydrological connectivity of the greater Everglades ecosystem to the subtropical strand swamps as students travel to the Fakahatchee Strand Nature Preserve. Here students will become “wildlife biologists” as they slog through a cypress slough and observe many rare and endangered plants and animals along the way. “Wildlife biologists” will continue their journey to Collier Seminole State Park, where they will set camp (tents provided) and prepare for an exciting evening of camp activities.

After a hearty camp breakfast, students will continue their study of Everglades hydrology as they canoe through the mangrove lined tidal creeks of Blackwater River and hike through a hardwood hammock that opens to a wet prairie. They will also learn about the engineering feats of early settlers as they tried to tame and build across this Everglades wilderness!

Florida State Standards following grades 6-12

Students will:

learn the importance of recording data in a field journal, with an emphasis on the value of each person’s contribution to the total body of scientific observations and the effort to compare and contrast their findings with those of other students

SC.6.N.1.1 Define a problem from the sixth grade curriculum, use appropriate reference materials to support scientific understanding, plan and carry out scientific investigation of various types, such as systematic observations or experiments, identify variables, collect and organize data, interpret data in charts, tables, and graphics, analyze information, make predictions, and defend conclusions.

SC.6.N.1.4 Discuss, compare, and negotiate methods used, results obtained, and explanations among groups of students conducting the same investigation.

SC.7.N.1.1 Define a problem from the seventh grade curriculum, use appropriate reference materials to support scientific understanding, plan and carry out scientific investigation of various types, such as systematic observations or experiments, identify variables, collect and organize data, interpret data in charts, tables, and graphics, analyze information, make predictions, and defend conclusions.

SC.7.N.1.6 Explain that empirical evidence is the cumulative body of observations of a natural phenomenon on which scientific explanations are based.

SC.8.N.1.1 Define a problem from the eighth grade curriculum using appropriate reference materials to support scientific understanding, plan and carry out scientific investigations of various types, such as systematic observations or experiments, identify variables, collect and organize data, interpret data in charts, tables, and graphics, analyze information, make predictions, and defend conclusions.

SC.8.N.1.6 Understand that scientific investigations involve the collection of relevant empirical evidence, the use of logical reasoning, and the application of imagination in devising hypotheses, predictions, explanations and models to make sense of the collected evidence.

SS.8.G.6.2 Illustrate places and events in U.S. history through the use of narratives and graphic representations.

SC.912.N.1.3 Recognize that the strength or usefulness of a scientific claim is evaluated through scientific argumentation, which depends on critical and logical thinking, and the active consideration of alternative scientific explanations to explain the data presented.

SC.912.N.1.6 Describe how scientific inferences are drawn from scientific observations and provide examples from the content being studied.

SC.912.N.2.4 Explain that scientific knowledge is both durable and robust and open to change. Scientific knowledge can change because it is often examined and re-examined by new investigations and scientific argumentation. Because of these frequent examinations, scientific knowledge becomes stronger, leading to its durability.

learn the importance of conducting water testing, understand density, salinity, temperature, turbidity and pH and how these are measured and compare, and interpret the results of their investigations

SC.8.E.5.10 Assess how technology is essential to science for such purposes as access to outer space and other remote locations, sample collection, measurement, data collection and storage, computation, and communication of information.

SC.8.N.1.3 Use phrases such as “results support” or “fail to support” in science, understanding that science does not offer conclusive ‘proof’ of a knowledge claim.

SC.8.N.1.4 Explain how hypotheses are valuable if they lead to further investigations, even if they turn out not to be supported by the data.

SC.8.P.8.8 Identify basic examples of and compare and classify the properties of compounds, including acids, bases, and salts.

SS.6.G.2.6 Explain the concept of cultural diffusion, and identify the influences of different ancient cultures on one another.

SS.6.G.4.1 Explain how family and ethnic relationships influenced ancient cultures.

SS.7.G.2.3 Explain how major physical characteristics, natural resources, climate, and absolute and relative location have influenced settlement, economies, and inter-governmental relations in North America.

SS.8.A.2.5 Discuss the impact of colonial settlement on Native American populations.

understand the concept that the presence of certain trees are an indication of events that are occurring, noting that they have adaptations that allow them to live in certain areas

SC.7.N.2.1 Identify an instance from the history of science in which scientific knowledge has changed when new evidence or new interpretations are encountered.

SC.7.L.17.3 Describe and investigate various limiting factors in the local ecosystem and their impact on native populations, including food, shelter, water, space, disease, parasitism, predation, and nesting sites.

SC.912.L.17.8 Recognize the consequences of the losses of biodiversity due to catastrophic events, climate changes, human activity, and the introduction of invasive, non-native species.

SS.5.G.3.1 Describe the impact that past natural events have had on human and physical environments in the United States through 1850.

SS.6.G.3.2 Analyze the impact of human populations on the ancient world’s ecosystems.

understand the predictability and logistics behind the KLOE system, with a focus on the Everglades as a natural and interrupted ecosystem

SC.7.E.6.6 Identify the impact that humans have had on Earth, such as deforestation, urbanization, desertification, erosion, air and water quality, changing the flow of water.

SC.8.N.4.1 Explain that science is one of the processes that can be used to inform decision making at the community, state, national, and international levels.

SS.8.G.5.2 Describe the impact of human modifications on the physical environment and ecosystems of the United States throughout history.

SC.912.L.17.19 Describe how different natural resources are produced and how their rates of use and renewal limit availability.

SC.912.L.17.20 Predict the impact of individuals on environmental systems and examine how human lifestyles affect sustainability.

SS.912.G.5.6 Analyze case studies to predict how a change to an environmental factor can affect an ecosystem.

understand the significance of human actions, including their own, in the protection of natural resources such as water and its pollution and redirection in the Everglades area

SS.6.G.3.2 Analyze the impact of human populations on the ancient world’s ecosystems.

SC.912.L.17.18 Describe how human population size and resource use relate to environmental quality.

SS.912.C.2.4 Evaluate, take, and defend positions on issues that cause the government to balance the interests of individuals with the public good.

SS.912.C.2.8 Analyze the impact of citizen participation as a means of achieving political and social change.

SS.912.G.2.5 Use geographic terms and tools to analyze case studies of debates over how human actions modify a selected region.

SS.912.G.3.3 Use geographic terms and tools to explain differing perspectives on the use of renewable and non-renewable resources in Florida, the United States, and the world.

SS.912.G.5.2 Analyze case studies of how changes in the physical environment of a place can increase or diminish its capacity to support human activity.

SS.912.G.5.4 Analyze case studies of how humans impact the diversity and productivity of ecosystems.

understand the history and cultural significance of the Seminole tribe, with a focus on their traditional relationship with the natural environment

SC.6.N.2.3 Recognize that scientists who make contributions to scientific knowledge come from all kinds of backgrounds and possess varied talents, interests, and goals.

SS.6.G.2.6 Explain the concept of cultural diffusion, and identify the influences of different ancient cultures on one another.

SS.6.G.4.1 Explain how family and ethnic relationships influenced ancient cultures.

SS.7.G.2.3 Explain how major physical characteristics, natural resources, climate, and absolute and relative location have influenced settlement, economies, and inter-governmental relations in North America.

SS.8.A.2.5 Discuss the impact of colonial settlement on Native American populations.

SS.912.H.3.1 Analyze the effects of transportation, trade, communication, science, and technology on the preservation and diffusion of culture.

understand how Native Americans were able to utilize Florida’s unique barrier island systems throughout their history and discover how Estero has a unique past that includes the Calusa Indians and many other groups that have influenced and shaped its culture and natural environment

SS.6.G.2.6 Explain the concept of cultural diffusion, and identify the influences of different ancient cultures on one another.

SS.6.G.4.1 Explain how family and ethnic relationships influenced ancient cultures.

SS.7.G.2.3 Explain how major physical characteristics, natural resources, climate, and absolute and relative location have influenced settlement, economies, and inter-governmental relations in North America.

SS.8.A.2.5 Discuss the impact of colonial settlement on Native American populations.

identify and understand Estero’s marine organisms, with a focus on gastropods and their structural functions and how these relate to behavior

SC.6.L.15.1 Analyze and describe how and why organisms are classified according to shared characteristics with emphasis on the Linnaean system combined with the concept of Domains.

SC.7.L.16.1 Understand and explain that every organism requires a set of instructions that specifies its traits, that this hereditary information (DNA) contains genes located in the chromosomes of each cell, and that heredity is the passage of these instructions from one generation to another.

SC.7.L.15.2 Explore the scientific theory of evolution by recognizing and explaining ways in which genetic variation and environmental factors contribute to evolution by natural selection and diversity of organisms.

SC.7.L.15.3 Explore the scientific theory of evolution by relating how the inability of a species to adapt within a changing environment may contribute to the extinction of that species.

understand that leaf litter in mangrove estuary decomposes to release nutrients vital to the growth of the juvenile marine creatures living there

SC.7.L.17.1 Explain and illustrate the roles of and relationships among producers, consumers, and decomposers in the process of energy transfer in a food web.

SC.7.L.17.2 Compare and contrast the relationships among organisms such as mutualism, predation, parasitism, competition, and commensalism.

SC.8.L.18.1 Describe and investigate the process of photosynthesis, such as the roles of light, carbon dioxide, water and chlorophyll; production of food; release of oxygen.

SC.912.L.14.8 Explain alternation of generations in plants.

SC.912.L.14.10 Discuss the relationship between the evolution of land plants and their anatomy.

SC.912.L.17.2 Explain the general distribution of life in aquatic systems as a function of chemistry, geography, light, depth, salinity, and temperature.

SC.912.L.17.9 Use a food web to identify and distinguish producers, consumers, and decomposers. Explain the pathway of energy transfer through trophic levels and the reduction of available energy at successive trophic levels.

learn that the importance of mangrove trees lies in their adaptive ability to flourish in salt water systems where competition is minimized

SC.7.L.17.3 Describe and investigate various limiting factors in the local ecosystem and their impact on native populations, including food, shelter, water, space, disease, parasitism, predation, and nesting sites.

SC.7.N.2.1 Identify an instance from the history of science in which scientific knowledge has changed when new evidence or new interpretations are encountered.

SS.6.G.3.2 Analyze the impact of human populations on the ancient world’s ecosystems.